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Nigel Hiorns discusses the challenges of applying Firecode and other associated fire safety guidance in healthcare.
CONSIDERABLE EFFORT and commitment has gone into the development of the Department of Health’s (DoH’s) healthcare guidance, Firecode, and associated fire safety guidance. However, disparities in the guidance, as well as discrepancies in its application, compromise the ability to deliver best-value hospitals on programme.
The principal reasons are:
- The application of the Firecode suite of documents and associated guidance (for example, BS 5588-7: Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Code of practice for the incorporation of atria in buildings) create different standards of fire safety. An inappropriate disparity of fire safety within a building causes an inefficient and unfocused design. These disparities arise from the guidance and the interpretations of the guidance
- The performance implied by the guidance is not clear, which constrains the ability of engineers to develop best solutions and creates risk in the design, management and operation of the hospital ...
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